A class action lawsuit has been filed and will be in court in November.
SAN DIEGO — Last week, someSan Diego County renters called out Conservice for unfair billing practices and a lack of transparency. Now, we are hearing from Conservice.
We reached out to Conservice and the company says, on occasion, a knowledge gap between residents and the nuances of utility billing can happen. They go on to explain the shared utility billing structure that they use.
Customers CBS 8 talked to over the last week say, sharing utilities billing is not working for them.
"What are you actually billing me for?” Enisa Jukic asked emphatically. “And then also, how are you billing your customers? Why can we not get answers to any of this?"
Jukic has been going back and forth with her apartment's leasing office and Conservice since 2021 when she noticed her utility bill skyrocketed one month.
It was $40. The very next month, it was more than $100. How? So, I go back home and call Conservice. And they're like we can't legally give you a breakdown because it would have everyone else's information. I said but wait a minute, if you're billing me for my unit, my usage, the tonnage, I do need a breakdown specifically for my unit. You can white out or break down whatever you need to do, but I'm asking for my unit," Jukic said.
She's not alone. There's a class action lawsuit against Conservice after renters say they can't get individual utility bills.
Customers tell us when they ask about getting an individual bill, they can't get answers.
We went to work for you and reached out to Conservice a week ago about the issue and they sent a statement that says in part quote, "Most properties only have one water meter coming into the community—the individual units have to be billed separately by the property, and companies like Conservice work to ensure that happens fairly and efficiently. We share utility bill usage, fee structure, and historical consumption data directly on each resident's bill, alongside conservation tips."
"I think that statement is complete BS," Jukic said. She tells us she's asked for an individual breakdown of her bill several times and never got it.
"When you see the Conservice breakdown, it says that it's literally taking all 300 units and breaking it down supposedly evenly. So I'm like wait a minute, that doesn't make sense. What about the units that are empty? They're not contributing to trash. That means we're paying for everyone else, even the empty units," she said.
In a statement to CBS 8, a Conservice spokesperson says the company is, "Dedicated to ensuring fair and transparent billing on behalf of our customers and their tenants in line with local regulations and lease terms."
Jukic says it's those local regulations and lease terms that need to be addressed so that she can finally get answers to her questions.
“Even if it's more than what they're charging, just give me transparency into my bill. I don't care about my neighbor’s bill. I care about mine. What am I paying? And why am I paying this fee?," she said.
The class action lawsuit is still making it's way through the court system. Their next court appearance here in San Diego is in November.
Conservice’s full statement can be found below:
Conservice is a utility management provider dedicated to ensuring fair and transparent billing on behalf of our customers and their tenants in line with local regulations and lease terms. Each tenant’s bill from Conservice provides information on utility usage, fee structure, and historical consumption data, in addition to conservation tips. We are committed to addressing any billing questions or concerns promptly and encourage tenants to contact our dedicated customer support team, whose phone number can be found on our website [or on your bill].
California regulations require water submeters be installed on all apartments built after 2018, and a similar requirement in San Diego has been in effect since 2010.
Tenants are billed for water usage based on their unit’s individual submeter, when available, or based on a formula in line with local regulations. Many multifamily properties in San Diego have only one water meter for the entire building, and property managers work with companies like ours to bill individual units for their consumption based on criteria agreed to by the property managers and outlined in tenant lease agreements.
WATCH RELATED: Tenants across San Diego fired up over Conservice billing
RELATED: Tenants across San Diego fired up over Conservice billing
